Lagos ranks third on CNN’s list of most stressful cities in the World

According to a new study by CNN, Lagos ranks third on the list of most stressful cities in the world. The list was compiled based on factors ranging from traffic levels, public transport, percentage of green spaces, financial status of citizens including debt levels, physical and mental health, and the hours of sunlight the city gets per year.

Lagos ranked third behind Baghdad in Iraq and Kabul in Afghanistan. Other cities on the list include Dakar, Cairo, Tehran and more.

On the list of stress-free cities however, Germany leads the way with 4 cities in the top 10 including Stuttgart, Hanover, Munich and Hamburg.

Well, Lagos is really like a war zone. Nigerians love chaos, such lifestyle has become a norm to them, and they don’t realize how abnormal it is. The traffic alone is hell, overpopulation, pollution, terrible roads, etc victoria island, lekki is 0.1% representation of Lagos.

Nigerians love living in a bubble of denial and delusion. Especially the fake, superficial Lagosians who are always in your face singing praises about their crime-ridden, disorganized, foul and glorified slum of a city. Well that’s what to expect from people who have been taught all their lives that mediocrity is excellence.

I was actually wondering why Lagos was not No 1 sef. The stress in this city is killing and life-shortening all because we have leaders who refuse to do the right thing E.g constructing new roads/bridges without maintaining the old ones. The Apapa traffic is evil!. Just yesterday, i saw 100s of bikes (Okada) on Eko bridge and commuters trekking from CMS to wherever. And the question that came to mind was ‘aren’t we indeed going backward?’.

I see your fourth comment below on this one silly topic and it makes me wonder: A- Did your boyfriend leave you? B- Did you lose your job? C- Did you collude with Richard Quest to put the list together for financial incentive? D- Did you toast Ambode and he refused? E- Are you PMSing? F- Are you just generally frustrated with life? G- All of the above. I don’t understand how some stupid list put together by CNN of all stations would elicit this much comment by one person. I think Lagos is one of the coolest cities in the world with its own unique beat. Lasg is doing all it can against ALL odds. Do you know how many people migrate to Lagos daily? Perhaps you’d perfer people are given visa to come to Lagos to control crowd. If it is too hot for you, please pack your bags and leave – one less person to cater for.

Lagos is nothing more than a glorified slum. Just a bunch of hoodlums and hypocrites living out their empty lives in an overcrowded, chaotic, tense and abominable city that is rife with criminality, pretentiousness, frustration and depression. Before you know it, they’ll start hyping themselves as Lagosians as if they are a bunch of special people. “Lasgidi this, Lasgidi that” “Imma Lagos boy!” “If you haven’t been to Lagos you haven’t experienced anything” Their governor does a few things he is supposed to do and they start hyping him as the best thing to have ever happened to Nigerian politics. Empty phonies.

Always trying to desperately fill the gaping holes in their lives by lying to themselves and others that they live an enviable, exciting life in Lagos. Keep on lying to yourselves that Lagos – a planless city with an embarrassing road network, garbage sites in every corner, booming crime rates and lawlessness – is a fresh city that everyone should aspire to live in. The whole world can see right through you now.

I wouldn’t have put it as bleakly as you did @A Real Nigerian, but you have some points. Lagos is indeed being overhyped with some people claiming that Lagos could survive on its own if it chooses. Absolute Piffle! The much-hyped Lagos Internal Generated Revenue is dependent on the operations of companies (and individuals) who depend on a Nigerian economy boosted by oil revenues. Even NPA, Customs etc depend on users from all over Nigeria, that depend on oil revenues. I don’t currently see foreigners flocking to Lagos to boost its economy, its success is tied no Nigeria.

Having said that, I think the LASG is missing a trick by not exploring its tourism and party city potentials. Yes, Lagos is crime ridden etc, but so also is Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican etc, and people still flock there in their millions every year. This is because they have (as you all know) Holiday Resorts with top notch security. Tourists are advised not to leave be resort, but these places create massive employment for locals and revenues for the local economy. Even at that, tourists of the more adventurous type, still choose to venture out of the resorts to explore. In addition to that, Lagos can package itself as an Edgy, dangerous party city on the international party and music festival circuit. There is so much more it could do and oil revenues will be nothing compared to the revenues that can be generated with the right packaging, focus and will power. It might look impossible now, but I believe that it can be done. The beaches are there, the right people, etc etc

Let colonized Nigerian businesses to continue to patronize advert and sponsorship on CNN as the channel still continues to spit on Africa and sensationalise the news without real correspondents on the continent… African story needs to be told by African… Otherwise it will never change!!

I live in Abuja and everyday i move around in this city, I say thank you GOD. I have lived in Kaduna and Abuja and life is just better in these places. so serene..makes it way easier living in this country as the stress level is low. Unfortunately, religious and political crisis has torn Kaduna a little but things are getting back on track. You can feel the air pollution and dense atmosphere immediately u get into Lagos…that’s the air of too much wahala.

My thought excactly, however it is what it is , we seem to trive on chaos! I actually refrenced this on an article here few days back.. The Unvarnished with ‘Bimbola Adeluwoye: Is God a Christian? the study was actually carried out by Zipjet a UK company, it appears CNN has not given credit to the source, it is also cited on Express .co.uk

Take it or leave it, Lagos is indeed a stressful city to live. Good! There is huge economic activities in Lagos and one can hit big cash quickly business wise but you can’t just deny high crime rate in the city, expensive decent accommodation, hellish traffic jams on most major roads, high cost of foods in some major areas, excruciating pains at running after Molue buses with wooden seats, noise pollution on the roads, Deafening noise of generators even at residential quarters, avalanche of waste in most areas etc. I wonder how crowded and stressful it will be to live in Lagos in 5 to 10 years time. A stressful city that never sleeps.

Currently living in Stuttgart and I’m not surprised seeing the city at the top of the list.The city is really well organised and less stressful..Standard of living and rule of law are top !(world class)..Transportation systems for example are very easy to access and it’s 24/7..An environmentally friendly city with low crime rate and very neat as well.And the list goes on!..Like Hanover and Munich most of German cities are also less stressful..Germany as a whole is an interesting country to live or visit.And they are very disciplined.